Westerfield trial TV coverage lures viewers with lurid details

I'll look.....if the one DOB that I found but haven't had anyone verify...he would have been 22 in 1981

Looks like he would have been 14-15 in '81?

all of the rv dna is not mitochondrial, i'd guess he would have to say danielle has been in the rv or evidence was put there by others...fingerprints are supposedly unique to an individual..

Were Danielle's fingerprints intact when the body was discovered?

they had to rehydrate the hands in order print them...

I couldn't find anything for DVD in Ft. Lauderdale in 1981...BVD owned property in 1986 and was a plaintiff for $1350 in a lawsuit in 1989...she prevailed.

What did the reward fund get up to?....looks like 3 of the players refinanced in Feb..must have been for that.

14 MR. FELDMAN: YOUR HONOR, THEY ASKED ABOUT THE
15 MARRIAGE. 16 THE COURT: SUSTAINED.
17 NEXT QUESTION.
18 BY MR. FELDMAN:
19 Q ^ DID YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND HAVE A 20 DISCUSSION CONCERNING WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD OR 21 YOU SHOULD HAVE A DIVORCE WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?

22 MR. DUSEK: OBJECTION; IRRELEVANT, 352. 23 THE COURT: SUSTAINED. 24 BY MR. FELDMAN: 25 Q WITH REGARD TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH 26 BARBARA EASTON, HOW DID YOU MEET MISS EASTON? 27 MR. DUSEK: OBJECTION. 28 THE COURT: OVERRULED. 556 1 THE WITNESS: I MET MISS EASTON THROUGH DENISE.

was confused over door decals from Lt. Collins transcript..he said none..BVD said there were......Ms. Savage..forensic specialist, notated the same decals as BVD...so that is cleared up.

"...If neither had anything to do with her death, why wouldn't a family tragedy bring them closer together?..."

The key here is that there can't be any plausible blame lurking in the background. That's fatal. Something as basic as 'who was driving' (in the case of an auto accident) can put the (sometimes undeserved) blame on one parent's shoulders for the death of a child.

In this case, IMO, there appears to be a cloud hanging over both parents. Their sexual escapades may have opened (or made vulnerable) their lives and home to an invasion by a sexual predator who destroyed their child.

If I were either of these wretches, I'd damn sure be blaming the other.

"...I had always thought that tragedies such as a death would bring people closer because they realize what they had, how much they really do love each other and their children, and to appreciate what's left even more..."

In some cases this may be true, but I don't believe that this would be the case as often as not.

I believe that this sort of outcome would be more likely for passive sorts of people, for those kind of people who take a shot to the teeth and respond by withdrawing or submitting.

People who are more responsive, more aggressive, will lash out, sometimes blindly, when confronted by pain and loss of this magnitude.

"...I wouldn't be surprised if they are already separated but still living in the same house until the trial is over..."

You may be right on the money with that.

looks like 3 of the players refinanced in Feb..must have been for that.

Someone on FR, very early on in the case, posted the info on the Van Dams and Westerfields mortgage re-fi's. I have been searching for that info for about 2 weeks now. It was posted in a thread before David was actually arrested. If anyone knows, please ping me.

Thanks dem,couldn't remember where I read about the D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

John Walsh is so inaccurate it's a wonder he helps catch any criminals at all. I think it's mainly because he shows the pictures.

Since you've presumed Mr. Westerfield to be guilty (even before you've heard all the evidence, from both sides), you must have inside knowledge which we haven't seen. So, could you please share with us how Westerfield could be in the house, yet leave no hair, skin flakes, sweat drops (apparently) or fingerprints? Can you explain how this large man could hide in that closet shown on Court TV and a number of websites? And how, pray tell, could he get past the dog--the dog we now know from the 911 tapes not only can bark, but can bark very loudly? It's a large dog, ladyinred.

Some of us--certainly that would include me--think that either Westerfield did not act alone, or that someone else, perhaps one of the pervs invited to the home by the parents did it. All of them had greater knowledge of the house layout than Westerfield. Any one of them could have remained behind or slipped back inside once the lights went out.

Wouldn't you rather see the right person fry? I would. Execute the wrong man, and you still have a child-killing perv walking around loose. Not very helpful to anyone, is it?

John, if Danielle had been playing in there--with some of her little friends--she might have left fingerprints. I think that is where Feldman is going, in fact, with the testimony about the park and where the motorhome was parked.

NOTE: If anyone would on or off my ping list, let me know.

If you'd like to take a look at the kind of dog the van Dams had, and read some information about that particular breed, click here.

Here is a snippet--

Happy, loving cheerful, affectionate and very rambunctious. Intelligent, but can be highly opinionated and willful, therefore this breed should have firm, experienced training from the start. Quick to learn, but resistant to repetitive training. Reserved with strangers and sometimes combative with other dogs. Socialize them well at an early age. Protective on his own territory. Very brave and loyal, it has a strong prey instinct. Do not trust with small non-canine animals. This is definitely not a herding or farm dog. The Weimaraner needs to live indoors as a member of the family. He needs attention and companionship. If relegated to a kennel life or if left alone too much, he can become very destructive and restless (*Miz wonders: like tearing up his bed?). He is a natural protector. (*Miz wonders: so why didn't he protect Danielle? Could it be because one of his owners was in on the deal?) Weimaraners are often kind to children, but are not recommend for very young ones because they are energetic enough to accidentally knock a child down. This breed likes to bark. Very hardy, with a good sense of smell, and a passionate worker, the Weimaraner can be used for all kinds of hunting.

This info raises a lot of questions about that night, in my opinion.

Going through all the threads is a mighty task. I've been spending a few weeks doing just that to get all the articles. I do recall the post you mention, but I don't remember which thread contained it. You might consider searching by date. We know from the article I'm posting below that Westerfield signed his house over to the lawyers around February 26th, and that the article I'm posting below was datelined March 23rd.

Got $484,900? Westerfield's home is for sale

March 23, 2002

David Westerfield's former Sabre Springs home is on the market. The four-bedroom, 21/2-bath house with pool and spa was listed for sale yesterday for $484,900. The house has been transferred to the ownership of the law firms of his two attorneys, Robert Boyce and Steven Feldman. Neither lawyer returned my phone calls yesterday afternoon.

Turnkey Realty has the listing on the house. Its agents will show it only by appointment to pre-approved buyers.

Westerfield gave over ownership to his lawyers on Feb. 26, the day after DA Paul Pfingst announced he would seek a murder charge against him in the abduction and killing of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, who lived two doors away on Mountain Pass Road.

Tax records show that Westerfield bought the 1,900-square-foot home in July 1996 for $231,500. He financed it with a $208,000 loan and subsequently borrowed money against it.

Upon hearing of the listing, David Pierce, a real estate agent in the Poway area, characterized the asking price as "too high," based on previous sales of houses of the same size in the neighborhood. However, another agent, Calvin Goad, said the current sellers' market is being driven by buyers' desire to beat rising interest rates. "I just had one property (in nearby Peñasquitos) sell in six hours and we raised the price three times," Goad said. Thirteen offers came in within eight hours of the listing, he added.

What will prospective buyers learn about the home's past occupants? The California Association of Realtors' disclosure form asks simply if there has been a death on the property in the last three years - yes or no.

It's called 3rd party culpability. Showing that there was access for anyone. Feldman is doing his job with what he is bringing out, possibility of other intruders. The same way Dusek wants so pick and chose pieces of the whole puzzle. Why is it okay to not tell the whole truth or not show the all the facts?

Regarding fingerprints in the motorhome, I know this sounds morbid but wasn't Daniell's body missing a hand?

This is an older article from my archives that goes into quite a lot of Westerfield's history. Not all the blanks are filled in, but it might be a good place to start:

Van Dam neighbor had been focus for investigators almost from start (Who is David Westerfield?)

By Michael Stetz and Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

February 23, 2002

He's bright, inventive and gentle, friends say.

But David Westerfield, a man described by longtime acquaintances as a "puppy dog," is in jail, arrested yesterday on suspicion of kidnapping Danielle van Dam, the 7-year-old girl who has been missing for three weeks.

The self-employed design engineer, whose name is on three U.S. patents, had been the focus of the police investigation nearly from the start. Danielle was last seen Feb. 1, when her father put her to bed in their Sabre Springs home.

Westerfield, the father of two adult children and twice divorced, will turn 50 Monday.

He lives two doors away from the van Dam family. In earlier interviews, the missing girl's parents, Brenda and Damon van Dam, said Westerfield would wave and say "hi" when they waved or greeted him.

He bought Girl Scout cookies from Danielle the week before she disappeared. And that was about the extent of their contact with him, the van Dams said.

Westerfield is the oldest of three children, all born in San Diego County. His mother lives in Clairemont, as does a sister. His father and younger brother are deceased.

Neither of his ex-wives nor his family would talk about him.

Longtime friends say they are certain of his innocence.

Two of Westerfield's friends described him as a "puppy dog." Carmen Genovese, a local engineer who's known Westerfield for two decades, and Wes Hill, a Utah resident who visited Westerfield recently, used that term to describe the man now under arrest in a case that's received national attention.

Police yesterday said they found Danielle's blood in Westerfield's motor home and on a piece of his clothing.

Genovese was angered by the arrest. He thinks investigators are "playing games" and questions the validity of any evidence against Westerfield.

When visiting Westerfield's home this month, Hill told reporters that people who know Westerfield are "100 percent behind him." He said he has known Westerfield for more than 30 years, and records show he was a witness for Westerfield's second marriage.

Genovese, in an earlier interview, said he had exchanged e-mail with Westerfield this month and noted that Westerfield expressed grave concern about how this was affecting his children.

"He seemed very stressed," he said.

Genovese said his opinion is that the media and the police have already convicted Westerfield, even though the judicial process has just begun.

He has received many e-mail messages from Westerfield's other friends and former co-workers who are confused and upset about the developments. They don't buy it.

"This guy is a lovable guy," he said.

Westerfield's life is destroyed, regardless if he is acquitted, Genovese said. "The media is killing him."

Decades in San Diego

It's unclear where Westerfield grew up. Records show he was born in National City and that his Social Security card was issued in Maine. It appears he has spent much of his adult life in the San Diego area.

He married in 1973 at age 21, lived in Del Mar and worked as a draftsman. That marriage ended six years later. His former wife lives in Rancho Peñasquitos.

About two months after the divorce was final in 1979, Westerfield married again. Records show he listed himself as a designer of testing equipment and said he had completed three years of education after high school.

He and his second wife, the mother of their two children, lived for several years on Treeridge Terrace in Poway.

After they divorced in 1996, Westerfield's second former wife moved to a nearby Poway neighborhood. The couple had joint custody of the children, who were teens at the time.

On March 2, 1996, Westerfield was arrested for driving under the influence, according to court records. He pleaded guilty, was placed on probation for five years and fined $1,325. He also completed a Mothers Against Drunk Driving course.

Westerfield moved into his residence in Sabre Springs in 1997, documents show. The house has four bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths and a two-car garage.

Some neighbors said they didn't really know Westerfield. A few noticed he would often spend part of the weekend washing his motor home or repairing cars in the driveway, something unusual for the neighborhood.

"He seemed a fish out of water to me," Patricia Erikson said.

Medical inventions

Of the three patents that carry his name, one is for a pulley he created for an Oceanside company, PrePak Products, which makes devices to help those undergoing rehabilitation for shoulder, back, neck and knee problems.

The second patent, which includes the name of another inventor, is for a surgically implanted prosthesis that replaces a bone joint, particularly the knuckle, records show.

The third patent is for a medical device that aids in joint rehabilitation. The patent lists several names as inventors, including Genovese's.

"He seems like a really nice man," said PrePak Products owner Judy Ray, who had contact with Westerfield for more than a year as he worked on the project. "He was very professional."

Westerfield's business is called Spectrum Design.

A published report said that Westerfield is a member of Mensa, an organization of people who score high on intelligence tests. Both the national office and the San Diego chapter said they did not have Westerfield listed as a member.

Westerfield's rather anonymous, suburban life exploded into chaos when he was tagged by police as the focus of the investigation days after Danielle's disappearance.

Police began looking at him because Westerfield left his home about the time Danielle disappeared. He returned the following Monday.

The stakeout

Westerfield initially talked to the media, saying he was cooperating fully with police.

He also told The San Diego Union-Tribune that he had run into Danielle's mother, Brenda van Dam, and two of her friends while at a popular Poway bar and restaurant the night Danielle was last seen. Westerfield told reporters he danced with Brenda van Dam and had a few drinks before leaving.

Brenda van Dam said she saw Westerfield that night, but that the two did not dance. He simply asked her to introduce him to a friend, she said.

As Westerfield came under increasing scrutiny, he became a near-prisoner in his home and stopped talking to the media. The media and police watched his house 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On Feb. 7, he retained Steven Feldman, one of San Diego's top criminal defense lawyers.

That morning, a trip to Feldman's Golden Hill office turned into a circus, as police and the media followed Westerfield as he drove off in his black Toyota 4Runner.

He left that meeting with Feldman without saying a word, without making eye contact with reporters, without showing any noticeable emotion.

Yesterday, he was arrested as he left the very same office, again showing little emotion as officers handcuffed him and put him in a police vehicle. He put up no resistance.